All four of the Caribbean Leagues are now underway and the Arizona Fall Leauge enters its final week of play. We've got updates on all of the former I-Cubs and Cubs prospects in action pluse a full list for former I-Cubs that are minor league free agents. Come back each week to keep tabs on your favorite players getting ready for 2013.

Magallanes has moved into first place with a 15-10 record. Zulia is just a half-game back at 14-10 and three teams are tied for second, two games back. IF Ronny Cedeno (2004-05, '07) has hit in six straight games for Aragua, going 11-for-26 (.423) with a double and two runs scored. It was a tougher week for several other hitters. OF Jackson Melian (2003) is 5-for-30 (.167) with two RBI in his last 10 games for Margarita. C Max Ramirez (2010) is 1-for-17 in his last four games for the Bravos, but is still 10th in the league in batting (.328). OF Dave Sappelt (2012) joined Margarita and made his debut on Sunday, going 2-for-5 with a run scored. IF Luis Valbuena (2012) is 3-for-19 (.158) with a homer and three RBI in his last six games, but is still fifth in the league in on-base percentage (.441). Cubs' prospect OF Jae-Hoon Ha is 3-for-16 (.188) in his last eight games. On the mound, RH Austin Bibens-Dirkx (2010-11) has struck out 16 batters in 10.1 innings over his last two starts and has an amazing 19 strikeouts to just one walk ratio through 16 innings pitched. RH Yoanner Negrin (2012) allowed four runs in five innings and didn't figure in the decision of his last start on Nov. 8 at Aragua. He is eighth in the leauge in ERA (2.38). LH Renyel Pinto (2004-05) had a good bounce-back start on Nov. 7 against Lara. He fired five shutout innings in a win after a rough first outing.

Aguilas Cibaenas (13-8) remains on top in the standings, but Toros del Este (12-8) has won four in a row to pull within a half-game. Estrellas de Oriente (13-9) is also just a half-game back in a virtual tie for second place. SS Junior Lake had a huge week at the plate. He hit .458 (11-for-24) with five doubles, four RBI, and three runs scored in seven games. He jumped to fourth in the league with a .344 overall average. OF Felix Pie (2006-08) is hitting just .120 (3-for-25) in his last seven games, but has drawn five walks and leads the league with 16 base on balls on the year. RH's Michael Bowden (2012) and Frankie De La Cruz (2012) had rough starts this week. Bowden allowed six runs (five earned) on five hits in an inning and a third in a loss at Estrellas on Nov. 7. De La Cruz was charged with four runs (two earned) on no hits and four walks in a third of an inning in a loss at Toros del Este on Nov. 9. RH Jeff Antigua was charged with four runs on four hits in a third of an inning on Nov. 7 at Licey. Those are the only runs he has allowed in his last seven appearances. RH Jairo Asencio (2012), who just signed with Milwaukee last week, continues to lead the league in saves (6) and games finished (11). LH Randy Keisler (2008) allowed one run on two hits in 6.1 innings, but didn't get a decision in his last start on Nov. 10. RH Ramon Ortiz (2011) joined Licey and allowed three runs (one earned) in four innings in a loss to Toros on Nov. 7. IF Diory Hernandez is 1-for-14 with three RBI in his last four games.

Culiacan leads the league at 17-9, but they have lost three in a row and Guasave (16-10) has pulled to within a game of first place. Hermosillo and Obregon are tied at 15-11, two games back. OF Marlon Byrd (rehab in 2011) has fallen off his torrid pace. He is 2-for-22 with no extra-base hits and two RBI in his last six games. He is still among the league leaders in several categories, but is no longer on top in any stat. IF Alfredo Amezaga (2012) moved past Byrd with another good week at the plate. He is leading the league in at-bats (111) and hits (39) and ranks third in batting (.351). IF Greg Rohan (2012) tweeted last week that he is back in the United States to "get healthy," marking the end of his winter ball season. IF Christian Villanueva was one of the prospects the Cubs acquired from the Texas Rangers in exchange for RH Ryan Dempster. RH Esmailin Caridad (2009-12) has allowed one run in nine innings pitched over his last nine games and earned a win on Nov. 10 against Navajoa. RH Jay Jackson (2009-12) allowed one hit over five shutout innings and struck out four against Hermosillo on Nov. 9. RH Marco Carrillo (2010-11) has figured in the decision of all five of his starts and is eighth in the league with a 3.34 ERA. He's also tied for second with three losses.

Puerto Rico opened play on Nov. 8 and Caguas and Mayaguez are each 3-1 for the early lead in the standings. IF Edwin Maysonet just signed a minor league contract with the Cubs after splitting last season between Nashville and Milwaukee in the Brewers' organization. IF Luis Figueroa (2008) has been among the top hitters in Puerto Rico the last few seasons and played in Mexico this past year. 39-year-old
Pedro Valdes (1996-98) can still hit and is the early league leader with four hits in two games.

Mesa has played better as the Arizona Fall League heads into its final week. The Solar Sox have won four in a row to improve to 10-16, but are still four games back of division leader Salt River (14-12). Scottsdale is second at 13-14. IF Logan Watkins replaced the injured Javier Baez on Mesa's roster and had a good week, going 6-for-19 (.316) with a double, a homer, and two RBI. Watkins was the Cubs' Minor League Player of the Year his past season after hitting .281 with 20 doubles, 11 triples, nine home runs, and 52 RBI in 133 games at double-A Tennessee. Baez still ranks fifth in the league with 16 RBI. OF Matt Szczur was 5-for-13 (.385) with a double, a triple, and two RBI this week. RH Tony Zych combined for three scoreless innings in his two outings this week, but RH Nick Struck (2011) was charged with a blown save after allowing three runs on three hits in an inning and a third in his last appearance.

1B Micah Hoffpauir (2004-10) and the Nippon-Ham Fighters won the Pacific League title, but fell 4-2 in the best-of-seven Japan Series against the Yomiuri Giants. Hoffpauir finished 1-for-10 with an RBI and a run scored during the series. The Fighters did announce that a contract extension for Hoffpauir through the 2013 season. Hoffpauir had this quote in the Fighters' official release: "I am happy that I will be able to return as a member of the Fighters in 2013 and fight to win with my teammates and the fans. While we were able to win the pennant, we unfortunately failed to win a Nippon Series. Next season, I will prepared to use all my abilities to in order to win a Nippon Series. I look forward to the continued support." During the regular season, Hoffpauir was second on the team in home runs (14) and helped the Fighters to a 73-58 record. IF/OF Edgar Gonzalez (2012) left Iowa after two weeks in April to join the Yomiuri Giants in Japan this year. He hit .236 with four homers and 19 RBI in 57 games during the regular season. He made one start at DH and entered one game as a pinch-hitter in the Japan Series. He was 2-for-5 with a double, an RBI, and a run scored against the Fighters. IF Bobby Scales (2008-11) started the season with the New York Mets' organization at Triple-A Buffalo and was leading the International League in hitting in April before going back to Japan. He played for the Orix Buffaloes and hit .262 in 85 games. OF Matt Murton (2005, '07-08) continued his three-year run in Japan and hit .260 with five homers and 38 RBI in 121 games for the Hanshin Tigers. LH Renyel Pinto (2004-05) made the move to Japan this year, but lasted just two starts with the Hawks. He was one of the top pitchers in Venezuela last winter.

The World Baseball Classic will be played again in March and tournaments have started for countries to qualify for the final tournament in the spring. Spain beat Israel 9-7 in the first pool play at Roger Dean Stadium in Florida. South Africa and France were the other teams in the round robin. OF Adam Greenberg (2004, '06) played in two games for Israel before the Miami Marlins gave him his famous at-bat against R.A. Dickey in the regular season finale. Of note, Greenberg didn't register an official at-bat in his two games for Israel. He was a sub in one game and walked in his only plate appearance. C Chris Robinson (2007, '09-11) was an offensive leader for Team Canada's win in the second tournament at the Armin-Wolf Baseball Arena in Germany. Canada beat the host Germans 11-1 in the final game. LH Sheldon McDonald (2012) is also on Team Canada. He spent one day with Iowa this season, but didn't pitch. He spent most of his year with Peoria and was 1-3 with a 1.89 ERA in 33 appearances for the Chiefs. LH's Will Ohman (2001, '05, '07) and Luke Sommer (2011) pitched for Germany. Ohman began last season with the Chicago White Sox and finished the year with triple-A Louisville in the Cincinnati Reds organization. Great Britain and the Czech Republic also played in that tournament. Brazil, Panama, Nicaragua, and Colombia will play November 15-19 at Rod Carew Stadium in Panama City, Panama in another pool. Thailand, Phillipines, New Zealand, and Chinese Taipei will play at Xin Zhuang Stadium in Taiwan, November 14-18.

We hope you enjoy the Winter League report this off-season. Don't forget to check back each week for more updates. If you know of any players that we should be following in this report that aren't included, please email Media Relations Director Randy Wehofer at randyw@iowacubs.com.

This story was not subject to the approval of the National Association of Professional Baseball Leagues or its clubs.